The gate of the Advisor Manor loomed ahead as Jin Yue and her father, Lin Zhao, made their way back from the imperial court. The servants bowed deeply, opening the doors as they approached, but no words were exchanged. The weight of what had transpired lingered between them like a storm cloud. Yet, as they crossed the threshold into the main hall, the mood was vastly different.
Laughter echoed from within, the joyous tone of celebration. Jin Yue's eyes flickered towards the source ...a gathering of women adorned in rich silks. Her two half-sisters and the Madame sat comfortably, cups of fine tea in hand, as they basked in their own glory. The eldest, Lin Hua, with a smug smile, was the center of attention.
"Oh, Father," Lin Hua exclaimed with a cloying sweetness as Lin Zhao and Jin Yue entered. "You have returned just in time. We were just celebrating my good fortune! Did you hear? the eldest son of the prestigious Chen family has expressed interest in me. Isn't it wonderful?" Her voice dripped with pride as she glanced at Jin Yue, her smile widening.
The Madame, always ready to bolster her daughters, chimed in with a satisfied grin, "Our Hua'er has truly made us proud. A connection with the Chen family will elevate our standing greatly. Who could have expected such fortune?"
Jin Yue remained silent, her gaze steady, watching the self-satisfied smiles that surrounded her. Lin Hua's eyes gleamed as she continued, her attention now squarely on Jin Yue, "Oh, dear sister, it's such a pity you weren't here to witness it. But then again, I suppose you have other... important duties these days. Being the "saint" must be so exhausting, isn't it?"
Her words were honeyed, but the bite of insult lay beneath. Jin Yue's status as the "Saint" was something none of them could truly accept...especially Lin Hua, who always feared being overshadowed. For years, she had taken pride in being the eldest, the one with the most influence. But ever since Jin Yue had been hailed as the Saint, the spotlight had shifted, and Lin Hua had felt her standing waver.
But now, with the attention of the Chen family's son, Lin hua had found her own sense of superiority once again. She had a future, a marriage alliance that would secure her position, and the thought of Jin Yue, tainted with scandal, soothed her insecurities. She could finally reclaim her place.
"Indeed," the Madame added with a casual wave of her hand, "Hua'er engagement will elevate this family. As for you, Jin Yue, you might want to consider stepping down from such… risky titles. After all, such fame can disappear as quickly as it came."
The younger sister, Lin Mei, who had been quietly sipping her tea, added with a smirk, "Sister is right. Marrying into the Chen family is no small feat. I do wonder who you'll end up with, Jin Yue. Perhaps a modest scholar?"
Jin Yue's face remained unreadable as the taunts continued, her patience growing thin. Just as Lin Hua was about to boast once more, a servant came,announcing the arrival of the eunuch, Lin Zhao hurriedly asked the servant to invite him in.
The eunuch, dressed in the imperial colors entered, his steps brisk and authoritative. The place stilled immediately, all present recognizing the gravity of the arrival.
"Advisor Lin Zhao," the eunuch's voice echoed, filled with the weight of imperial decree, "an imperial edict of your daughter's engagement has arrived."
Lin Zhao straightened his robes, and in one swift motion, everyone in the room dropped to their knees, bowing low in respect for the emperor.
Lin Hua's heart fluttered in excitement, her mind immediately racing with possibilities. An imperial edict? For the Advisor Manor? Could it be... for me? She exchanged a glance with the Madame, whose eyes were already sparkling with pride. Lin Hua had always been hailed as the talented and beautiful daughter of the household, and now, after receiving the attention of the Chen family, it made perfect sense that the imperial court might take further interest in her.
Lin Zhao, too, looked pleased, his chest swelling as he prepared himself for the honors. "This must be for Hua'er," he murmured quietly, a smile pulling at his lips.
"Father, surely this must be about my recent connection with the Chen family," Lin Hua whispered, her voice brimming with expectation. "The emperor must have heard."
The Madame nodded in agreement, her eyes filled with triumph as she looked at her eldest daughter. "Of course, Hua 'er," she said softly, "who else could it be for? The imperial court has likely recognized your beauty and talent. This will be a great honor for us."
Even Lin Mei, the younger sister, felt a twinge of jealousy as she knelt beside her family. She clenched her hands into fists, a subtle bitterness creeping into her thoughts. Hua'er, always so perfect, always the one to receive attention. She forced a smile on her face, but deep down, she resented the constant shadow her elder sister cast over her.
The eunuch unfurled the imperial scroll, holding it high as everyone remained kneeling, heads bowed in reverence.
"By decree of His Majesty," the eunuch's voice rang out, clear and steady, "the third prince is to be engaged to Jin Yue, daughter of Advisor Lin Zhao."
For a split second, there was silence. The smiles froze on Lin Hua 's and the Madame's faces, their minds struggling to process what they had just heard. The name that had been spoken wasn't Lin Hua 's.
It was Jin Yue's.
Lin Zhao lifted his head slightly, confusion etched across his features. Lin Hua, who had been expecting the words to announce her as the chosen bride, blinked rapidly, her heart stumbling over the revelation. Her lips parted as she struggled to form a coherent thought, her mind unable to reconcile what had just been said.
"W-What?" Lin Hua stammered, turning to her father in disbelief. "D-Did he say... Jin Yue?" Her voice wavered, her earlier confidence collapsing like a crumbling wall.
The Madame, too, looked utterly stunned. "There must be some mistake," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Jin Yue? How could..."
The eunuch's cold, impassive gaze met theirs, and he repeated with authority, "Jin Yue, daughter of Advisor Lin Zhao, is to be engaged to the third prince."
Lin Hua 's face paled, her heart sinking as the full weight of the words hit her. Jin Yue. The girl she had ridiculed, the girl she believed to be far beneath her, was now to be wed to the third prince—a man of immense power and prestige, far beyond the reach of even the Chen family.
Lin Mei, who had been quietly observing, felt her own wave of shock, but beneath it all, a surge of vindictive satisfaction flickered. So it wasn't Xue'er after all, she thought, biting her lip to hide a small smile. She had grown tired of Lin Xue's endless preening, and seeing her elder sister's face fall was oddly gratifying.
Jin Yue, still kneeling, felt all eyes on her. The weight of the moment settled over her like a cloak. She hadn't expected this, not at all, but watching the shock ripple through her stepmother and sisters gave her a quiet satisfaction she hadn't anticipated. Lin Hua 's stunned expression was almost laughable, her earlier smugness now replaced with disbelief and envy.
The Madame, always composed, struggled to regain her poise. Her lips trembled as she forced a smile. "Ah... Jin Yue... such unexpected news." But her eyes betrayed her, wide with panic as she realized that Jin Yue now held a status that far exceeded Lin Hua 's. The third prince? How could this happen?
Lin Hua, who moments ago had been basking in the glow of her potential marriage alliance, now felt as if the ground had been pulled from beneath her. Her throat tightened as envy gnawed at her heart. For so long, she had feared being overshadowed by Jin Yue, the so-called "Saint." And now, it had happened. The marriage she had been so proud of was nothing compared to what Jin Yue was now being offered. Her chest burned with frustration.
"How..." Lin Hua whispered, more to herself than anyone else. Her hands clenched in her lap as she tried to swallow her disappointment. Jin Yue? The third prince? She couldn't believe it. The emperor had chosen her half-sister, the one she had always looked down upon, the one she had ridiculed for her strange, incomplete demeanor.
Jin Yue rose from her kneeling position gracefully, her eyes meeting Lin Xue's. "It seems the emperor has chosen otherwise," she said softly, her words cutting through the air like a blade.
Lin Zhao, who had remained silent throughout the reading, finally found his voice. "An honor... for the family," he muttered, though his tone was strained. He hadn't expected this outcome either, but there was no denying the power of an imperial edict. Jin Yue, was now promised to a prince, far outranking any potential marriage Lin Hua could hope for.
The room was thick with tension, the air heavy with the weight of shattered expectations. Lin Hua 's earlier pride and the Madame's smug satisfaction had been reduced to nothing in a matter of moments. They had misjudged, and now they had no choice but to accept the reality in front of them.
Jin Yue, for her part, savored the shift in power. She had always been the one they mocked, the one they disregarded, but now she was the one with the highest status in the household. And watching their stunned, disbelieving faces was more satisfying than she had ever imagined.